Seeing Spots
by Anonymous13 B
Summary: While Mufasa deals with his son's tormentors, Simba brings his friends to a little-known part of the Pride Lands for a day of play and relaxation. Unfortunately, an old enemy of the kingdom decides to return...
1. Chapter 1

Well, it's time for our next story! Hopefully you guys will like this one a little more!

I wish to make an important announcement: Starting with this story, this series will be beta-read by ThatPersonYouMightKnow! Hopefully all the flamers will shut up now.

**Emerald dreamer96:** The adults in the Pride Lands are pretty useful, except for Scar and Company, of course.

**ThatPersonYouMightKnow:** I liked your use of the Scar quote, as well as your nickname for what the series isn't! Though the cuteness might be mixed in later on…it's good to have a balance. Fight villains by day, cuddle up with the cub of your choice by night.

**Greg M 94:** A watery grave indeed…but is it truly his final resting place?

**kora22:** I'm glad you finally got the chance to read the finale. I'm glad you liked it!

* * *

**Seeing Spots**

**Chapter One: Another Adventure**

The sun was shining brightly on the Pride Lands, every plant, rock and river glowing vibrantly. The sound of twittering birds echoed through the trees and fields. But under the shade of one particular tree, a pair of cubs were paying no attention to the sounds of small feathered animals.

"Your wound's looking a lot better, Simba." Nala smiled as she examined a faded red gash on her golden friend's right side.

About two days ago, the cubs had been held hostage in the jungle by Khara, a suave but merciless lion who intended to train them to become ruthless killers. Luckily, Mufasa and the other Pridelanders had swiftly put an end to Khara's plans, and as far as anyone knew, his mutilated corpse was rotting at the bottom of a jungle pond…

"Yeah," Simba sighed. "I'm glad Rafiki was able to heal me up quickly this time. I wouldn't want to spend days on end in that tree so soon after getting out."

"Do you want to do anything today, 'Explorer King?'"

"I forgot all about that nickname," Simba smiled. "You haven't used it since the day we met."

"That's because we haven't done any exploring! Between getting grounded after the Elephant Graveyard, being assaulted by your cousins, and then everything with Khara and the waterhole cubs, we haven't really had the time to be explorers!"

"You're right," Simba grinned. "There's this really cool area southeast of Pride Rock that almost nobody goes to. It's supposed to be pretty cool!"

"Any idea what's supposed to be there?" Nala asked.

"Supposedly, it's got a lot of green palms and a little river. So it's like a little mini-jungle."

"Cool!" Nala exclaimed. "Do you wanna bring the others, or should we just go on our own?"

"You two won't be the only ones," intoned a familiar voice. The two cubs stared straight ahead as a certain blue hornbill smiled at them.

"I must say I am rather familiar with the area you are talking about," Zazu explained. "It's a paradise for birds. I'll gladly take you there myself."

"Wow: Zazu actually wanting to go somewhere with us?" Simba whispered to Nala excitedly. "It's unbelievable!"

"Well, young master, if it's safe for me, it ought to be safe for all of you. But before we go, His Majesty wants to see the two of you for a few moments."

* * *

At the base of Pride Rock, Mufasa stood over Simba, Nala and Mheetu with Zazu perched on his shoulder.

"Simba," Mufasa began, "today I'm going to go down to the waterhole and talk to those cubs. What were the leaders' names again?"

"Ibada and Sheeta," Simba sighed. He really wanted to forget about them…

"Okay," Mufasa responded. "Now, I also wanted to talk about a particular remark made by one of you during the whole matter with Khara." He stared at Mheetu and frowned, causing the cub to smile uneasily.

"N-n-now, Your Majesty, I don't have the faintest idea what you're talking about," the greyish-white cub stammered, his eyes darting around frantically.

"Well, let me remind you, then," Mufasa smiled. "When we were heading towards the jungle, you remarked that if Nala had been hurt in any way, then Simba would be the one that paid for it. Sarabi and I did hear that, Mheetu. I don't know if you realized that, but we did. Loud and clear. Everyone else probably did too."

Simba and Nala stared at Mheetu with wide eyes. Simba was the first to speak.

"You know, Mheetu, I've been through enough stress as it is! First Vitani, then the waterhole cubs, and Khara. I don't need you too!"

Nala warily approached her younger brother.

"Mheetu, why would you threaten Simba? Even if I had been injured, it would have been Khara or one of the jungle lionesses, not Simba."

"Simba running away is the only reason you left! He would, by default, be responsible!"

"That's enough, Mheetu," Mufasa grumbled. "If I ever hear you threaten Simba again, there will be consequences."

Mheetu slowly nodded his head. As Simba and Nala walked away, Mheetu trotted behind them. Zazu flew off of Mufasa's shoulder and followed the cubs.

"Let's go find the others," Nala suggested. "We'll take them all."

"First," Simba proclaimed, "the four of us will go see Uncle Scar."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: Scar Tells a Story**

On a familiar rock ledge towering over the Pride Lands, a lanky red lion with a jet-black mane was relaxing in the shade. Lying on his side, the lion blissfully slept until a familiar voice pierced through the morning air.

"Hey, Uncle Scar!" Simba shouted as he ran towards his uncle. Scar opened both eyes and rolled over to face his nephew.

"Hello, Simba. How is my favorite nephew?"

"Uncle Scar, you're still lying on your side!" Simba chuckled.

"Yes," Scar smiled. "Don't I always?"

"Hey, Nala! Mheetu!" Simba called out. "Uncle Scar's ready to see you!"

"Wait, what?" Scar asked in a daze. "You didn't tell me you were bringing friends." He sat up and straightened himself as Nala and Mheetu entered.

"He's kind of handsome," Nala said under her breath. _Then again, they both are…_

When the two cubs reached Scar, Nala introduced herself. "My name's Nala, and this is my brother, Mheetu."

"You remind me of my old cubhood friend," Scar smiled. "Her name was Sarafina. She looked exactly like you when she was a cub."

"She's our mom!" Nala smiled.

"No wonder," Scar grinned.

"Hey, you're Vitani's dad, aren't you?" Mheetu asked.

"I am," Scar responded. "She said something about some boy. Was that you, by any chance?"

"Yes," Mheetu responded. "How's she doing?"

"She's a bit better now," Scar answered. "It'll be a while before she can leave this place again, though. I've been staying here to look after her ever since she fought Simba here. I presume you two were there?"

"We were," Nala answered.

"Where's Aunt Zira?" Simba asked. He didn't particularly want to see her…

"She and Nuka are out," he answered. "Vitani's back there. You can go see her if you want, Mheetu, but don't disturb her too much."

Mheetu nodded eagerly and ran to the other side of the rock. The greyish-white cub slowly approached Vitani, who was lying on her stomach. She was still covered in scratches, but it was easy to see that she was on the road to recovery.

"Hey, cutie," she smiled. "Haven't seen you in a while. What are you doing up here?"

"Well," Mheetu smiled, "your cousin and my sister are obviously rather close, and they came up here to see your father. How are you doing?"

"It'll be a while before I can menace Simba and the others again, but I'm pretty good."

"That's great to hear."

* * *

As Simba and Nala visited Scar, the little lion asked his uncle, "Could you please tell us a story, Uncle Scar?"

"Hmm..." Scar thought as he placed a paw to his chin. "Have you ever heard the story of One-Eye?"

"No." Simba shook his head. He eagerly sat down, and Nala joined him.

"Well, One-Eye is a leopard, with a coat as vibrant gold as your father's, and spots as black as my mane. He received the injury as a cub when he accidentally disturbed a warthog, similar to how I got my own injury. Of course, mine was with a buffalo, but I was a teen lion when that happened. He's probably a year younger than your father and I, so he and I might have received our wounds at roughly the same time. I don't believe anyone even knows what his previous name was."

Scar then leaned down towards the cubs, his voice becoming more sinister.

"But what matters is not how he became One-Eye, but rather what he did with his life because of it. Leopards are solitary creatures, not like us lions, so naturally he would be much more focused on independent survival than any of us. But with that injury, his eyesight was impaired, leaving him unable to hunt on his own. He hired a hyena, a vulture, and a wild dog to help him hunt. Together, the four of them practically decimated the Pride Lands. They were the greatest challenge the pride had faced since the days of Choyo, my grandfather. But eventually, Simba, your father banished all of them. But One-Eye swore revenge, and although he hasn't been seen since, no one knows when or where he will strike. So you cubs ought to be careful, for he may target _you!_"

Simba and Nala jumped, and smiled before clapping their paws. "You sure tell a great story, Uncle Scar!"

Scar smiled. It was not often he got compliments like this.

Mheetu walked back into view, and exclaimed, "That was a great story, Scar. Vitani and I could hear it all the way back there. She says you tell that story for her quite frequently."

"Yes," Scar smiled. "I'm surprised I never told Simba before. Of course, I only just met you and Nala."

Simba then lead Nala and Mheetu away. As he turned to look back, he shouted, "Thanks for the story, Uncle Scar!"

"Anytime!" Scar called back before walking towards Vitani.

_Little do they know that he's back in town,_ Scar smiled to himself. _Simba is in for quite a shock. Hmm-hmm-hmm-hmm…_

* * *

Well, what do you all think? Zazu actually cooperating with the cubs? Mufasa confronting Mheetu? The two conniving minds finally meeting? And what about old One-Eye? Don't forget to read and review! And please, no flames this time! At any rate, I shall see you tomorrow!


	3. Chapter 3

Seems everyone likes this story this time. No flamers! Hooray!

It sounds like everyone's looking forward to meeting One-Eye, and you'll get the chance today! By the way, I would prefer if you imagine One-Eye with the voice of Malcolm McDowell.

**Greg M 94:** Who knows? You may very well be right…

**Emerald dreamer96:** Mufasa will definitely be dealing with this problem. Glad you like Mheetu and Vitani so much! It seems everyone is going to like this pairing. And yes, Scar is disturbingly good at not acting like a sociopath.

**kora22:** It probably won't be long before "that little twerp" is in hot water. Ibada and the others definitely will be today, though.

**Chu10:** I'm glad you liked the "sweet moment" at the end of the last story. One-Eye actually originates from the "Hakuna Matata Magazine" series. As for your other questions, the story shall answer them…

* * *

**Chapter Three: The Investigation**

The shimmering blue waterhole sparkled in the mid-morning sunlight, and the crowd of cubs sat behind it, chattering away as usual.

Mufasa stood about fifty feet from the waterhole, watching the cubs. He sighed and walked towards them.

Sheeta sat with her head hanging low as Ibada stared ahead. "We've got company, sis."

"Is it Simba?" she asked excitedly.

"No," Ibada sighed. "It's Mufasa, the king."

"Can we ask him to betroth me to Simba?"

"Sis, you've clearly never heard the policy of the Pride Lands," Ibada scolded. "The king only betroths cubs once it appears a romance is developing. You and Simba barely know each other. We're going to need another strategy. I'll come up with something. Here he comes. Get ready."

Mufasa's massive frame soon towered over the cub congregation, and every single one of them stared at the king in shock. On one hand, none of them expected to see him, but on the other hand, they knew very well why he was probably here.

"Good morning, cubs," Mufasa smiled. "Are you having a nice day?"

"Yes," they responded, unsure of what was happening.

"Would the cubs named Ibada and Sheeta speak up, please?"

Without a word, both cubs walked towards Mufasa, their golden-orange coats shining in the sunlight.

"What do you wish to see us for, Your Majesty?" Ibada asked in a malice-free tone.

"You're Ibada, correct?"

"Yes, and this is my sister Sheeta."

"You two have been harassing my son, is that correct?"

"Harassing your son? I don't even know who your son is," Ibada smiled.

"You're lying, Ibada," Mufasa frowned. "You know very well that my son is Simba, who you've been harassing for quite some time, so I hear. Apparently, your actions hurt him so much that he fled to the jungle. I'm sure you heard about that."

"Your son is a coward!" Ibada spat. "I don't care if he stood up to that one girl cub. She's the reason we started teasing him in the first place!"

"This is Vitani's doing?" Mufasa asked. _I'm going to have a talk with that little monster… and Scar._

"Well, not directly," Ibada explained. "I'm surprised he didn't tell you what happened."

"He did," Mufasa explained. "She covered him in mud and then cleaned him off in front of all of you, purely for the purpose of humiliating him. It seems like her little plan worked."

"Oh, yes, it did," Ibada smiled. "It was the funniest thing I've ever seen! Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

"You want something funny?" Mufasa asked sternly. "How about being locked in a cave for a month, with a barrier manufactured by monkeys, where you have no room to move and happen to be in full view of any passing animal, so that they may look upon your shame? Does that sound funny to you?"

Ibada's eyes widened in horror. Mufasa, the kind, compassionate king, would do that to a cub?

"Now, Your Majesty, I'm sure we can find an agreeable compromise to end all of this," Ibada smiled.

"Yes," Mufasa agreed. "You stop tormenting Simba, and I don't lock you in the cave. How does that sound?"

"That, and one other thing," Ibada answered.

Mufasa stared at the cub with a skeptical look.

"Add to that, that Simba will at least become friends with Sheeta here. She's so desperate to spend time with him," Ibada requested.

"That I cannot agree to," Mufasa answered. "I cannot force Simba to spend time with your sister here if he doesn't want to. Simba already has friends, and I can say with full confidence that he's falling in love with Nala. I'm sorry, but that simply cannot happen."

"Well, in that case…" Ibada smiled, "I'm afraid I cannot agree to this deal at all. See you later!"

With that, Ibada sped off in a flash, Sheeta hot on his heels. While Mufasa began running, he quickly stopped himself.

"I may be strong," he reasoned, "but there's no way I'll catch up to them. They're cunning little devils, almost as bad as Vitani. I'll send a few of the lionesses out to track them down."

He then turned to the other cubs.

"All right, let's hear what you all have to say for yourselves."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four: One-Eye**

"So, remind me again why you're not scared of going into a jungle again?" Chumvi asked Simba as the cubs walked through the grass.

"If it's safe for Zazu, it's safe for anybody. Besides, it's not even a real jungle. It just has some jungle plants and a stream running through it. It's not even that big an area."

"I'm still trying to register the idea of Zazu actually taking us to a place we want to go," Nala smiled.

"He said it's a bird paradise," Tojo said. "That's enough for me."

Tama stared at him quizzically. "What is it between you and birds?"

"I don't know," he responded. "I just think they're interesting."

"I'll just eat the birds," Mheetu smirked.

"How far away is it, Zazu?" Simba shouted up to the sky.

"Not much farther," the hornbill yelled from above.

Simba smiled and turned towards Nala. "This is going to be an awesome day."

* * *

"Awesome day, eh?" a voice snarled from behind the cover of grass. "I can try and prevent that."

"What will we do, boss?" snarled a hyena as he stood behind his concealed master.

A vibrant gold leopard sat up out of the grass before turning to face the hyena, revealing a bright red slash that covered his left eye completely.

"Well, Shriek," the leopard responded, "we'll track those cubs and, whenever they finally reach their destination, we shall ambush them. You and Snarl will be first."

At that moment, a large red-and-black spotted canine joined Shriek as a vulture swooped down from the sky, hovering above the trio.

"What are Shriek and I doing?" the wild dog asked his master.

"Snarl, you and Shriek will ambush that gaggle of cubs once they reach their little getaway spot. You, Vulture, will serve as a lookout. I also want you to get rid of that bird at the right time."

The vulture nodded his head and flew back into the sky. The leopard was flanked by Shriek and Snarl as the wicked posse followed the cubs.

"Those miserable brats will know the name One-Eye, and by the end of the day, it will be the last name they ever hear."

* * *

About ten minutes later, the cubs beheld a fantastic sight. Beautiful green palm trees dotted the landscape, a bright blue stream weaved its way through, and birds and flowers were visible everywhere.

"It's beautiful," Nala gasped.

_Not as beautiful as her._ Simba smiled to himself.

The cubs scanned the scene, unable to take in the sheer beauty of their destination.

"The flowers are so pretty here!" Kula smiled.

"I know!" Tama agreed.

"Tama liking pretty flowers seems weird," Chumvi whispered in Malka's ear.

"I know," Malka whispered back.

Nala smiled. "You picked a great place for us to visit, Simba. Thank you for taking us here, Zazu!"

"No trouble!" Zazu smiled. "I don't get how you cubs have so much energy, but if you must use it, this would be a suitable location!"

Zazu then flapped his way towards the top of a tree, and comfortably nestled into the bright green leaves, still keeping his eyes on all eight cubs.

_At least they picked a safe place,_ he reasoned. _They definitely learned their lesson after the Elephant Graveyard. And I thought Mufasa was too soft on them…_

As Simba and Nala engaged in another game of Pinned Ya, Chumvi and Malka sat telling jokes to each other while Kula and Tama giggled about flowers, Tojo watched the birds flitting from plant to plant and Mheetu rested on a rock.

_Too bad we couldn't bring Vitani along_, he sighed. _But I doubt they'd allow her after what happened. I don't think they were as impressed with her as I._

The cub's eyes widened when he noticed a small grey mouse scurrying through the grass. Without a second thought, Mheetu pounced on the defenseless rodent before holding it in his mouth and climbing back on his rock.

After dropping the still-squirming mouse in his paws, Mheetu pressed a claw to the tiny creature's stomach. "You're the first mouse I've seen in a while," he chuckled. "My days have been a bit dull lately, so this is a nice reprieve."

Simba and Nala sat next to each other in the grass, but their cloud-watching had been disturbed. At the moment, they were both lying on their sides, using their arms to prop themselves up as they watched Mheetu with the mouse.

"That is really disturbing," Simba commented as he watched the younger cub. "I still don't get how he's your brother."

"He just is," Nala sighed. "Like I've said before, I still love him, even for all his faults."

"Hey! What about me?" Simba whined.

"Oh, of course I do silly!" Nala smiled as she grabbed Simba's cheek playfully.

"Aw, how sweet," growled Shriek as he and Snarl stepped out of the brush.

All eight cubs stopped what they were doing, simply staring at the intruders.

"Well, cubs, if you want to run, you better _run_!"

* * *

Wow! That was quite the pair of chapters! Mufasa confronted the cubs, Ibada and Sheeta are now fugitives, and we've met One-Eye! Don't forget to review!


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry about the delay! I decided to take a night off, again. That will happen, I can already tell you. But now you get two more chapters of this surprisingly well-received story!

**Haradion:** I can't express enough just how grateful I am to you for saying all of that. It needed to be said. Now they'll…run away and never return, hopefully?

**kora22:** A rotten bunch indeed. That's what's so fun about them!

**ThatPersonYouMightKnow:** My best story yet? My personal favorite at this point is _Family Troubles_, but I'm liking this one too.

**Greg M 94:** Yes, he will. And it might not be pretty…

**Emerald dreamer96:** Ibada and Sheeta aren't exactly the brightest villains around…especially Sheeta. At this point, I think they're rather desperate. We might see more of them soon enough…

**Chu10:** Disney sadly did not bother giving the vulture a name like they did the others…but I really like yours! Screech it is!

**the-mysterious-other:** Mheetu's a rather creepy cub in general, isn't he? There might be a point where he gets to have the evil spotlight to himself…

**DarthRushy:** You have a lot of questions, and so I shall answer them! I figured someone would wonder about Nala's comment. Scar isn't exactly an ugly lion. You should see all the fangirls he and Jeremy Irons have! It's crazy! As for Mufasa, you shall get an answer in the story. No, Mheetu is not Scar's son. I wouldn't pair him with Vitani otherwise. As for Tama, she has something of a romantic arc to go through before this series is over…

* * *

**Chapter Five: Fighting the Mongrels**

The cubs screamed as they were pursued by the vicious trio of assailants. Shriek bared his fangs as he chased Simba and Nala, while Snarl set his sights on Chumvi and Kula. The vulture swooped down upon Tama and Tojo.

"Get away from me, you ugly vulture!" Tama growled, but she was soon held to the ground by the bird's sharp talons. She was powerless to escape.

"My boss calls me Vulture," the bald-headed menace snarled, "but you can call me Screech!"

After letting out the sound he named himself after, Screech leaned down towards Tama, opening his beak wide as he prepared to devour her...

But Snarl interrupted him.

"Get the bird, Screech!" the dog barked. "He's getting away!"

Without another word, Screech let go of Tama and flapped into the sky, suddenly blocking Zazu's path.

"You aren't going anywhere, hornbill!" the sinister vulture smiled.

"G-g-get away from me!" Zazu squawked.

"Not likely," Screech responded, before closing in on Zazu, grasping the hornbill's right wing in his sharp talons.

"Enjoy your final flight!" Screech cackled before dropping Zazu.

"Zazu!" Simba and Nala cried as they watched the blue bird crash straight into a bush. The two cubs ran towards it. They dug through the plant as fast as they could, lifting Zazu out and placing him on the ground.

"Are you okay, Zazu?" Simba asked, his voice trembling with worry.

"Does it _look_ like he's okay?" Nala snapped. "He just had his wing pierced by a vulture! I hardly think so!"

"Thank you for your concern, cubs," Zazu said, managing a weak smile. "Just put me back in the bush. Your friends still need your help."

"I'll stay with you," Nala declared. "Simba, is that okay?"

"You deserve a break," he nodded. "Plus, I can show how brave I am! Heeyah!"

With that, he charged at Shriek, sinking all of his claws into the hyena's side before biting down with all of his might.

"_Get off me, you little brat!_" Shriek yelled. "Snarl, help me!"

"Will do," the hunting dog said, charging towards Simba.

Before Snarl could even approach the cub, Nala clambered onto his back from behind. She bit down on the canine's ear, causing him to rear up and howl in pain.

"Nala, I thought you were watching Zazu!" Simba shouted.

"I got Tojo to do it! I couldn't just let this mangy dog here kill you, could I?"

"I've always had a hatred for cats," Snarl growled, turning his head and snapping at Nala. She managed to sink her claws into his back before a distinctively feline yowl echoed through the trees. Everyone froze instantly.

"Give enough respect to your master, Snarl," One-Eye purred as he slipped out into the open. "Cats are indeed a superior class. I think we can all vouch for that position here."

One-Eye smirked upon beholding the terrified cubs, as well as the submissive expressions of his henchmen.

"I've been waiting to meet you for quite some time, Prince Simba," One-Eye smiled as he walked towards the golden cub, who had jumped off of Shriek and was now with Nala and the other cubs.

"I've heard quite a bit about you," the leopard continued. "You faced off against hyenas, your own cousins, and even the dreaded King Khara. You are your father's son, all right."

Simba beamed momentarily, but his face resumed its seriousness. "What do you want, One-Eye?"

"So you _have_ heard about me," One-Eye snickered. "That is a nice reprieve. I'm guessing your mother used me as a scary bedtime story."

"No. My uncle told me about you today."

"Ah, yes. Your uncle has an injury like mine, so I hear."

"Unlike _you_, he can still see with both eyes," Simba spat.

"Oh, how rude. I don't think your father would approve of you insulting the handicapped. But to answer your question, little prince, we want something very simple. Something that will benefit us _dearly_."

"What?" Simba asked in a stern tone.

"To put it simply, cub: we're going to eat you."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six: One-Eye and the Cubs**

"_Eat_ us?" Nala asked incredulously. "Why would you eat us?"

"My sister has a valid point," Mheetu agreed. "Why would you wish to dine on your fellow feline?"

"Well, my sly little friend," One-Eye answered, "I lost any form of discernment a long time ago. See, I received this wound when I was about your age. My sister dared me to approach a warthog. When I did, it turned and attacked me with its tusks. The injury for which I named myself was the obvious result. The girl I had feelings for had no interest in a leopard with a red gash in place of an eye, so she went to another leopard cub instead. My mother went to King Ahadi to ask if he could order the death of the warthog, but he claimed that it was merely defending itself, and therefore he could do nothing about it. I then decided that I would make my mark. When I reached teenhood, I managed to kill that warthog at long last. I then realized I could get revenge on everyone. I killed my former crush and her boyfriend. I lured them to the river at the edge of the Outlands before pushing them in. As I watched them being devoured by the nasty brutes, I realized that one's own survival was the only thing that mattered in this world. I then murdered my sister, the one who caused all this misery in the first place. I knew instantly that I would be put to death for this crime, so I fled the Pride Lands and lived in the desert. While there, I found these three, and they have helped me ever since. When I matured, I came back and began to wipe out everything in the Pride Lands. By then, Mufasa was king, so I couldn't get my revenge on Ahadi, but he managed to drive me away with the help of the very lionesses that gave birth to all of you! So this will be my revenge, just as always. An eye for an eye, after all."

"You're sick, One-Eye!" Nala shouted defiantly. "You became a serial killer because of an injury and being rejected by a girl? You nearly destroyed an entire kingdom because one lousy king wouldn't help you? You would kill a group of innocent cubs who have nothing to do with the things in your life?"

"Yeah," Chumvi added. "That's not a very good excuse, Spotty. You're just a psycho! There's nothing more to it!"

"You insolent brats!" One-Eye roared. "You will all learn to fear me!"

"Fear you? Not in a million years," Simba boldly stated.

"Simba! This guy has killed tons of people!" Nala shouted. "You _should_ be afraid of him!"

"Your little lady friend is right," One-Eye smirked. "But, before I kill you, I would like you all to listen as I tell you more about what I've been doing since I was last in the Pride Lands. Sit down. This will take a while."

Shriek, Snarl and Screech formed a tight circle around all eight cubs. They simply sat there, not wishing to anger One-Eye at the moment.

"So, after your precious king banished me from the kingdom, I went off and…"

* * *

Mufasa slowly climbed up the tall rock structure. He did not wish to surprise the individuals he was about to visit, considering he was not going to his brother's hideout for a friendly chat.

Scar soon appeared from behind a corner, and jumped upon beholding Mufasa.

"Dear brother, what in the world are you doing here?"

"I wish to see Vitani," Mufasa explained. "I have something that I must talk to her about."

"Is it about last week's incident?" Scar asked, his eyebrow raised. "Shouldn't we let bygones be bygones?"

"It's not about her. It's about the other cubs. They've been teasing Simba because of what she did, and that teasing, in turn, is why he ran away a few days ago."

"Well, I'll let you talk to her, then," Scar declared, before leading the mighty king to his ailing niece.

"Uncle Mufasa?" Vitani asked, her weak voice trembling slightly.

"Vitani, you heard about what Simba did the other day, didn't you?"

"He ran off into the jungle because he couldn't confront his status as a total loser. Yes, I heard."

"Well, do you know why he did that, Vitani?"

"No, uncle, I have not heard." She smiled demonically. "Tell me."

"The cubs at the waterhole teased him because of what you did to Simba that day."

"I bathed him. So what? I figured you'd be happy that I saved Aunt Sarabi the trouble."

"You covered him in mud and then did it in front of every single cub in the pride, just so you could humiliate him. You succeeded, Vitani, and it's lead to horrible results."

"Are you going to punish me? Because whatever you do can't be worse than this. I've been stuck here since last week, recovering from horrible wounds. What's happened to Simba can't possibly be worse."

"I simply thought that I should tell you. Whenever you're finally well enough to leave again, I'm going to have the lionesses keep a close eye on you. You will never get the opportunity to harass Simba or his friends again."

With that, Mufasa left, and Scar approached Vitani.

"Hopefully, that little gang of mongrels will take care of them. Though I'm hoping for your sake that Mheetu will live."

"If anyone lives, it'll be him," she smiled.

* * *

"…and now I am here, telling this to all of you," One-Eye smiled as he finished his story. "Congratulations, cubs. You all now know the complete, unaltered story of One-Eye: the one who will end _your_ story."

"You won't get the chance!" Simba yelled. "Dad will save us!"

"Oh, I simply can't wait. There will be quite a surprise in store for him! He-he-he-he-he-he!"

* * *

Wow! That was quite the pair of chapters, wasn't it? We learned One-Eye's story, and Mufasa confronted Vitani! In two days, you will get the exciting conclusion! Don't forget to review!


	7. Chapter 7

Everyone seems to like One-Eye as the antagonist, and now it's time for a climactic confrontation with our motley crew of animals!

**Greg M 94:** His life definitely went belly up. I couldn't have said better myself.

**kora22:** Telling the heroes your life story is never a good idea if you're a villain who wants to win. But considering how survival-oriented One-Eye is, he might have a few little backup tricks…

**DarthRushy:** Engaging in monologue seems to be a common pastime for villains.

**Chu10:** I'm glad I made you happy. And yes, he's a very direct villain. Much nastier than the original Disney version.

**Emerald dreamer96:** Mufasa definitely knows how to put cubs in their place, whether good or bad. And what does the sinister leopard have in mind for him? We shall see…

**the-mysterious-other:** I don't suspect you would find the omitted piece of One-Eye's story all that interesting. I can't imagine his life after being driven off would be quite as captivating as what came before.

* * *

**Chapter Seven: The Cubs Fight Back**

"What kind of surprise?" Chumvi asked. "I get the feeling it won't be a good one."

"You are a perceptive cub," One-Eye smiled. "My plan is quite simple, actually. I shall proceed to devour you all. With the help of these three, of course."

"I want the two brown cubs!" Shriek cackled.

"I look forward to eating those two," Screech smiled, as he pointed a talon at Tama and Tojo.

"I'll take the bird!" Snarl barked. "Maybe I'll have that cub with the black tuft and that smaller whitish one."

Malka's eyes widened in horror, and Mheetu growled as he unsheathed his claws.

"In that case, then," One-Eye purred, "I shall devour the prince and his little lady friend myself! And once we're all done, we'll place our scraps in a big pile. Then, when King Mufasa gets here, we can stomp your bones until they're nothing but dust!"

"You won't get away with this, One-Eye!" Simba snarled.

"Oh, what a clichéd statement," the leopard grinned. "I think you'll find that I _will_ get away with it, Simba. We've learned how to do this. We've done it so many times, you know."

"Yeah, boss," Snarl agreed. "That we have."

"So without further ado, I shall proceed to kill you!"

* * *

Two golden-orange cubs were sneaking into the lush foliage when they heard the sounds of fighting.

"What's going on, Ibada?" Sheeta asked her brother in fright.

"Wait here," Ibada signaled as he ventured closer and parted the branches. One-Eye and the others were chasing the cubs as they tried desperately to flee.

"Hey, sis, come here! Simba and his little friends have gotten themselves in a pretty bad situation!"

Sheeta trotted over to where her brother was before sitting next to him.

"I hope Simba doesn't get hurt!" she declared.

"What might work is if we let him be hurt a little bit, and just as it appears he's about to die, we rush in and save him."

"What about the others?"

"Nah, we'll leave them. As pretty as that Nala is, she's definitely in the way of our goals."

"Oh, okay," Sheeta said as she watched the fight.

Ibada smiled. "Like I said, I knew something would happen to him. Now I finally get to see it."

* * *

"You won't get me, you stupid hyena!" Chumvi snarled at Shriek, whose muzzle was mere inches away from he and Kula.

"Is that so?" Shriek laughed. "Think again, kiddo!"

He launched at the pair, but Chumvi unsheathed his claws and swiped the hyena across the face before running off with Kula. Shriek growled at them as he followed.

Tama and Tojo, meanwhile, had no better luck at the moment, given they were running in terror from Screech, who hovered above them as he let out a terrifying cry.

"Give up now, cubs! You can't escape the keen eyes of a bird of prey!"

Screech swooped down onto Tama, fully intent on slaughtering her.

Tojo suddenly stopped and turned to face the horrendous bird.

"You stay away from Tama!" he shouted, unsheathing his claws and sinking them into Screech's feathered chest.

"Awck!" Screech cried before flapping away.

Tama looked at Tojo. "And I thought your claws were underdeveloped," she smiled.

Tojo beamed.

At the same time, Snarl was loping about as Mheetu rode him like a bronco, Malka cowering in the corner.

As the greyish-white cub sank his claws into Snarl's back, he smiled. "I just love showing my dominion over other animals!"

"You're awfully cocky, cub," Snarl muttered.

Mheetu ignored him and continued, "It's time you _dogs_ learned that cats are superior! Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" The small cub began viciously scratching the canine, drawing enough blood for Snarl to fall to the ground, his back and front legs having lost all function.

"Ha! No one beats Mheetu! I am superior to all!"

Towards the creek, One-Eye had Simba and Nala trapped in a corner.

"Your brother is wrong, girl," One-Eye smirked. "I am the highest being!"

"You're insane! That's what you are!" Nala spat.

"You're a fiery one," One-Eye frowned. "Pretty soon you and your little prince will be at the very top of that pile of bones. You can at least say you'll get the royal treatment."

The depraved leopard licked his lips as he advanced slowly towards them, but two other cubs suddenly jumped from an overhanging branch, landing on One-Eye's back and biting him as they sank their claws into him.

Simba's eyes widened in surprise. "Is that…?"

Ibada reared up to look at Simba and Nala. "We can't exactly let our ticket to power die!" he shouted.

"Is that the guy who was tormenting you?" Nala asked.

Simba nodded.

"I'll give them a good one after we're finished with One-Eye and his crazy crew."

"Let's focus on helping our friends first."

"Good idea," Nala nodded. She charged on ahead, with Simba hot on her heels.

Chumvi and Kula were still running desperately from Shriek, who bared his teeth as he pursued them.

"You'll pay for scratching me!" he howled as he ran toward them.

Suddenly, Simba and Nala appeared to halt Shriek's path, allowing Chumvi and Kula to run farther. "You won't catch them, Shriek!" Simba bravely declared.

"We'll see about that," the hyena snarled, and he gave chase as Simba and Nala ran off, teasing and taunting him as they went.

"Come and catch us!" Nala shouted in a singsong voice.

"Yeah, if you can get your fat hyena body over here!" Simba smirked.

Shriek yapped in anger as he ran towards the cheeky cubs.

One-Eye was now menacing Chumvi and Kula, considering Shriek was occupied and the other two were essentially out of commission.

Simba then leaned into Nala's ear and whispered something.

"Good idea," she smiled. "I'll keep him concentrated, and you head up that tree."

Simba winked at her before running off, and Shriek continued pursuing Nala.

Nala ran towards One-Eye and jumped on his back, prompting the leopard to rear up and attempt to throw off his assailant.

"Get off me cub!" he screamed. "I will put an end to you yet!"

Shriek leapt at Nala, and she jumped away just as Shriek lunged, causing him to collide with One-Eye, sending both of them crashing to the ground.

Once One-Eye was able to stand up, he noticed Nala, Chumvi and Kula all running away.

"You idiot!" One-Eye screamed. He slapped Shriek unconscious before running after them.

"Hey, come after me you ugly spotted cat!" Nala smiled.

One-Eye roared as he ran after her, and she leaned against the trunk of a tree, smiling as One-Eye leaned in for the kill.

"Now!" she shouted up into the tree, and Simba smiled from the safety of the branches, "Time for these bees to get busy!"

He swiped a branch, and One-Eye looked up, only to witness a large hive crashing down on his head

One-Eye screamed as he ran blindly through the oasis in terror, allowing Simba to climb down the tree and join up with Nala.

Ibada and Sheeta soon appeared in front of them, and Ibada smiled, "Hey there, beautiful. What do you say you two reward us for our… charitable act earlier? Your boyfriend can make out with Sheeta, and you and I can have ourselves a nice little night."

"Not on your life, Mister," Nala frowned. Without another word, she leapt at both cubs, and less than a minute later, both of them were lying on the ground, covered in blood and bruises.

"C'mon Nala," Simba said. "Let's go get the others."

* * *

That night, the cubs were telling their story to the adults in the den at Pride Rock.

When they finished, Mufasa smiled.

"I'm very proud of all of you today," he declared. "One-Eye seems to be defeated for the time being, and every one of you showed extreme courage. Rafiki has taken Zazu to his tree, and he should be fine in a few days."

Simba smiled. As annoying as Zazu could be, the golden cub was very happy to hear that he would live.

"Well, should we call it a night?"

Every single cub shouted the same answer.

"Yep!"

* * *

This was quite the finale, wasn't it? I'm sure you all liked seeing One-Eye and the others get their just desserts, huh?

**Next Time:** When Simba visits Rafiki's tree, his exploration has unintended consequences…


End file.
